A blog discussing the forms and fashion of fencing in the Victorian Age

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

An introduction to two late 19th century Fencing Manuals

Prevost and Rondelle

The
Victorian Fencing Society uses two manuals published in the 19th
century, focusing on the French method of fencing, as guidebooks for study.

The
first is Fencing by Walter H. Pollock,
F.C. Grove, and Camille Prevost, Maitre d’Armes with a complete bibliography of
the art by Egerton Castle, M.A., F.S.A., published in London in 1889 as
part of the Badminton Library.

The
other book is Foil and Sabre a Grammar of
Fencing in detailed lessons for professor and pupil by Louis Rondelle,
published in 1892 in Boston. Rondelle at the time was the Maitre d’Armes at the
Boston Athletic Association and the Harvard University Fencing Club.

An introduction to
the Volume on Fencing in the Badminton Library

This
text was issued in 1889 as part of the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes
under the volume for Fencing, Boxing and Wrestling. As the editor of The
Badminton Library explains, the series was meant to offer a modern encyclopedia
for the inexperienced man in the “Sports and Pastimes indulged in by
Englishmen-and women”, and included everything from Big Game Shooting to
Dancing. The series was dedicated to the Prince of Wales, who was an
experienced sportsman and happened to be a member of the London Fencing Club.

The
fencing portion of this volume includes an introduction by Englishmen C.F.
Grove and Walter Pollock, and an additional Bibliotheca
Artis Dimicatoriae (Library of the art of fencing)by Egerton Castle. Prevost is responsible for
the practical material for the instructional portion of the text,
excerpted from the treatise he wrote in France in 1886.

Camille Prevost

Camille
Prevost was the son of Pierre Prevost, who was himself a student of Baptiste
Bertrand, considered one of the most influential French fencing masters of his
time. Bertrand left nothing in writing of his methods, and Camille Prevost’s
father would write only a small pamphlet. Camille Prevost took on the task of
creating a more comprehensive manual of foil instruction according to the
method of his father and Bertrand.

Pierre
Prevost came to London in 1848, and Camille Prevost was born in London in 1853.
He returned to Paris in 1869 after his father’s death where he was appointed a
professor in the leading French School of Arms. In 1886 he published in France
his Theorie pratique de l’Escrime,
presenting the principles of the French classical school. This fencing volume
was the foundation for the text for the Badminton Library, probably through an
association with Sir Frederick Pollock when, according to Aylwards English
Masters, they would have met in his youth at Waite’s School of Arms in London.

The
Badminton treatise itself covers only the foil, with a short chapter on the
singlestick (since it is a guide for Englishmen).

Of the Introduction
to Fencing in the Badminton Library

Grove
and Pollock were part of that society of fencing in England championed by
Alfred Hutton and Egerton Castle. The introduction by F.C. Grove provides an
interesting view of the English Victorian bias that fencing was at its pinnacle
in their era after a long history of incorrect practices.

He
refers to early fencers as “primitive” and noting that fencing had “remained in
a terribly imperfect state, hindered and encumbered by infinite pedantry and
nonsense, and taught by pragmatical and very foolish Masters of Fence to pupils
who were content to follow egregiously wrong systems.”

And
he adds that “the
pressing need for the sword did not lead to anything like effective use of it,
and though the early Italian fencers may have been formidable from constant
practice, and may have mastered some dangerous tricks, their method remained,
even after there had been ample time for developing it, a singularly bad one,
altogether opposed in many respects to the true art of swordsmanship as now
understood.”

Grove
then exults in the current state of fencing as produced by Bertrand, called the
Napoleon of fencing, and his protégé’s the Prevosts. Grove says of Bertrand
that “he absolutely refused to be bound—in practice at least—by what was
pedantic and artificial, or to consider anything as forbidden merely because
the fencing-masters
chose to forbid it.”

He
finishes by stating that the following treatise uses the methods of fencing of
the best French schools, from the system that is essentially that of Bertrand.

Finally,
I will note that William Gaugler’s book on the History of fencing gives a good
account of Prevost’s methods, and he considers Prevost’s treatise to be the
most significant written in France toward the end of the 19th
century.

And an overview of Foil and Sabre a Grammar of Fencing

The
book is dedicated to the Amateur Fencers League of America, founded in 1891 and
which eventually transitions in to the United States Fencing Association in
1981.

Louis Rondelle

Louis
Rondelle was born in France in 1854. He studied at the fencing academy at
Joinville-le Pont, from which fencing masters of the French Army must graduate.
He came to New York in 1881 and was the instructor at the Knickerbocker Fencing
Club, and then became fencing master of the Boston Athletic Association in
1889.

Rondelle’s
book is extensive as a lesson book, meaning to cover all subjects pertaining to
fencing. It includes chapters on assaults and professorships, and is meant as a
textbook for American Fencers.

Rondelle
explains the reasons for his book. “A life-long study of the art of fencing,
and a passionate love of its practice; a careful observance of what seems to me
the unfortunate methods of the self-entitled " Maîtres" and
"Professors " who assume to teach the art; a full appreciation of the
certain and deep interest so rapidly growing up in America, together with the
sincere wish I have that in my adopted country this splendid art may reach the
same high excellence which it has attained in my native land, — have beguiled
me into this effort to transcribe in the English language a concise and
exhaustive treatise on the science of fencing as taught in France.”As Grove and his fellow Englishman did, Rondelle offers the opinion that the teaching of fencing has become mired in pedantry. "I have attempted in the following pages to show that there are, in this science, principles far deeper than mechanical movements, and to give those principles the intelligent expression to which they are entitled."Of the Content in Foil and SabreRondelle begins by giving a historical outline of fencing in France that includes information on the School of Joinville-le-Pont. "In 1872, the French Government, perceiving the need of uniformity in the instruction of fencing, founded a school for the benefit of the army. The military school of Joinville-le-Pont was established for this purpose, and placed under the direction of a captain and four adjutants. A staff of instructors and assistants was organized, and the department of fencing comprised six hundred strong."

Part
I of the treatise contains definitions of fencing terms. Part II follows with
lesson instructions for pupil and master. In Part III Rondelle gives more
interesting observations about fencing and suggestions for its development in
America, including a Normal School of Fencing (school to train teachers).

For
the fencer, he says “To become expert in the art of fencing it is necessary to
possess five essential faculties; namely, the judgment, the glance, the feel of
the blade, quickness, and precision. Some are furnished by Nature, others are
acquired.”

Part
IV is the sabre instruction, including recommendations on the design and use of
the cavalry saber for the military.

Much
of the actions are recognizable in these treatises to the modern fencer,
although it is Interesting to note that tierce and seconde are preferred as the
primary parries to defend the outside lines. It was felt to be stronger for
defense, when the idea was to touch and to not be touched.

Both theses treatise give a good foundation of the French method of fencing used by the British and Americans in the later period of the Victorian Era, and form the guide for learning fencing for the Victorian Fencing Society. Future articles will give a more detailed analysis and comparison of the two.

About the Victorian Fencing Society

The Victorian Fencing Society was formed in 2011 for the Research, Training and Demonstrations in the fashion of fencing from the nineteenth century.
We meet in the Dallas area for monthly practice in nineteenth century fencing techniques at the Fencing Institute of Texas. President and Instructor Jonathan Carr started fencing in 1984 and has been coaching fencing since 1997.
Our primary manuals of study come from the Fencing volume of the Badminton library published in 1889 by Walter H. Pollock, F.C. Grove and Camille Prevost, Foil and Sabre by Louis Rondelle published in 1892 in Boston, and Alfred Hutton’s treatise on Saber called Cold Steel published in 1889.
The society is open to all individuals interested in studying the history of fencing in the nineteenth century. No experience is necessary.
Please contact Jonathan Carr for any questions at the email listed in the contact info. Check out our facebook page for recent activity.